Cows: The Loudest, Ugliest, Most Beautiful Disaster

Ah yes, The Cows-Minneapolis' finest sonic terrorists with a mountain of broken amplifiers. A band that made regular punk bands look like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
A magazine in the early ’90s claimed they could all play; they just didn’t know how to tune their instruments properly.
At the center of this glorious mess was Shannon Selberg, a man who treated the stage like a demolition derby. He was known for not listening to music, which maybe explains a few things.

[@ateevee2521]

I declare you the best content on youtube. Love the voice, love the style, love the editing. Thanks for taking the time Tome. You owe us nothing and deliver so much. Even when you cover something I already knew, there's a nugget or twelve in there

[@ryanjohnson7563]

It's like count Chocola is telling me about all my favorite bands ❤️

[@raimywinter2309]

Facts

[@ejeamon]

oh, man. even the sublime one had a couple clips i hadnt seen

[@mperezmcfinn2511]

Back in the day, I knew this girl who was really into the Cows. And she was really into Shannon in particular. The last time I saw her she said she was seriously contemplating moving to Minneapolis, tracking him down, and marrying him. Then she fuckin did!

[@vonslagle]

My old band opened for the Cows in Philly at this show @0:01. It was very memorable because my mother and father and my brother drove a couple hours to come see it. My parents told me they liked the Cows. Crazy days back then

[@p4life56]

Kyber pass pub.🤘

[@BlueWingedRino]

What was the band?

[@sublimeguy]

Tome you are by far one of the best channels on YT and the work you put into these docs are incredible. Thank you brother

[@LukeHelmsworth]

The Cows-Cunning Stunts, so so good, particularly Heave Ho.

[@JohnCryder-so1pg]

Those records are great. My favorite AM Rep band. Loved those shows. I am so thankful that I got to experience this era in music.

[@monkeytailhock2295]

Kevin Rutmanis joined The Melvins for a few years. He also played with Tomahawk featuring members of Faith No More, Helmet, and Jesus Lizard.

[@BeeAyeSueRah]

@@monkeytailhock2295 don’t forget his own band Hepa/Titus, Teenage Larvae and Crackpot Whorehead w/Trevor Dunn

[@SeanJ-jd6gt]

These guys used to sleep on my floor when they played in town. Great band. Great dudes.

[@thomasminarchickjr.7355]

The way Kevin moved, played and ground his teeth, you’d think the boy was on speed

[@buddhull]

you would!

[@swilkobarfingtoniii1642]

Kevin Rutmanis stole my Bic lighter. I WANT IT BACK KEVIN!!

[@jackshaw6793]

Selberg knocked my beer over in 1994. YOU OWE ME A BEER SHANNON!!

[@georgemaranville3305]

One of the best live bands ever. Especially when Cosmic Psychos open.

[@raimywinter2309]

Yes

[@earlofcumbrae-Ground_Zero]

Great! Brand new upload! I'm looking forward to seeing it. Thanks for the regular uploads Tome. You are da 👑. Greetings from the French Alps.

[@gregbors8364]

The first video I saw of yours was The Mummies and I thought your narrative voice was a put-on but you actually do sound like Dracula. And I’m here for it 💯

[@jenskofoed-pihl-r1h]

Probably my fave noise rock experience in the 90s was seeing Cows in Copenhagen

[@chicxulub3967]

Damn nice!

[@weirdnessisgood4446]

Awesome video. Cows were one of the best bands ever.

[@Luther_The_Rogue]

A Flipper or Rik L. Rik episode would be cool!

[@sebp400]

or Rikk Agnew

[@migrantbison]

Fuck ya plz make a vid on Flipper 🙏🙏

[@sorrycharlie5773]

Fuk yes..saw these bruts many times in my youth all around Minneapolis..glad to see someone appreciates them as much as I do..😊

[@JimmyMcMillan-o2f]

I freakin love this band….thanks

[@airquotescomedian]

I've never heard any Cows before. Now I'll be listening to little else for a bit.

[@JimmyMcMillan-o2f]

You lucky boy…

[@davidreidy5750]

My band covered a couple of songs from these clowns like 24/25 yrs ago.I was a huge fan,had every album they ever did, actually a huge Amrep collection.R.I.P. Norm Rogers.

[@whitlowjohnonly1_2]

The cows put on hell of a show. Saw 'em twice early 90s.

[@radioactivefish1192]

This was great. Cows were a band I could never find records of back in the day when I would dig through the bins. Always heard of them mentioned from bands I liked and people told me I'd dig them. All very true! Thanks for another great doc!

[@ElGatoBlanco1970]

The Cows!! So good. Saw them at CSUF with Supernova.

[@werdna3891]

This was amazing! Please keep doing these videos. I know Kevin from his days in the Melvins, and I knew he used to play in Cows. I knew I liked Cows, but had no idea on their history. Consider do interviews yourself and do a "Behind the music" style video and I honestly think it would work! Anyway, please know that fans on this type of stuff real really hearing the story about bands they were very curious about. So thank you for that. Cheers my friend!!!

[@lonestardude6283]

Tome! Once again you found my favorite band which I never knew existed until right now through your stellar video! Thanks!

[@statelessmars]

Laughing hyenas on the list?

[@mperezmcfinn2511]

If they ain't, they outta be.

[@davidreidy5750]

They weren't an Amrep band

[@mperezmcfinn2511]

​@@davidreidy5750Who cares? They were amazing.

[@davidreidy5750]

Yes they were

[@NicS-q8n]

The Fuckin "Cows" were to Good

[@snowheelslim5897]

I saw them open up for Faith No More in Toronto, not well received lol

[@WesleyGravolet]

Of course not..only clowns were digging faith no more!!

[@snowheelslim5897]

@WesleyGravolet I was just a young gaffer in my defense but I would've appreciated them more todayy (The Cows)

[@WesleyGravolet]

@snowheelslim5897 no ur good dude I was just talking smack...I like some vile crap myself..lol

[@BubbyBop]

I love these videos it’s always bands I’m happy are getting recognition and teaching new people into them great job great channel

[@Travecmo]

I almost always have no clue, but am always entertained and enlightened

[@fredbloggs8362]

Please do consider turning your very fine talents to a Lubricated Goat vid.

[@TexacoRodeoClown]

Fuck yea I second this

[@voiddiary]

Kevin is screaming into his pickups. 4:57

[@pollution]

I saw these guys more than few times in the late 80s/early 90s. They were great live and their albums rocked!

[@PRAGMAGICK]

loved when kevin was in the Melvins - great era!

[@brentlohr3394]

Please do an episode with Hammerhead. Hammerhead was from the same scene as The Cows

[@kyledutton6550]

That whole amp-rep roster was awesome.

[@radmanmatt]

Hammerhead and Vaz are soooo good

[@drandydavis8885]

Shannon sang a few songs with Run Westy Run last fall at one of High Fi Records and Hair alley shindigs. Sounded and looked good. Maybe the Cows will wandering in from the pasture and make some noise!?!

[@poonyhooman]

Absolutely magnificent. Band and video. I never get the shot of excitement I got when watching this anymore.

[@michaelwilson2340]

If he ever did own a record player, he might have had Iggy Pop, Swans, and Chet Baker in his collection.

[@douglasmackallor]

Tome, excellent! (as always). If you are looking to do a documentary for a country-punk band, then you might consider the _Lazy Cowgirls_ or Tex and the Horseheads .

[@juhahoik]

COWS is cool, Flipper was cool too

[@JimmyMcMillan-o2f]

Shannon sang w Flipper for a min.

[@juhahoik]

@ didnt know that,thats awesome. Ive been binging this japanese psychedelic noise rock band HIGH RISE for awhile now, if youre into this kind of music.

[@S1M0ND0e]

High Rise II Rocks

[@MindTheDrift]

YES TOME!! I was listening to Peactika the other day! Always thought no one approaches the bass like Kevin. They have a song called Chow where he just manipulates the E tuner. Simple as, but blew my hair back. Anyone here should check out his recent work with his amazing artist wife and Trevor Dunn, also his Hepa.Titus album Agony of Flies, especially champagne of incest. Also there’s a video of Shannon fronting Flipper on here from last year, where he’s plastered drunk and falls into the drum kit in the first minute. Genuinely great performance👏 One the most underrated bands and I really mean that. Love you Tome👊

[@movieswithmycat]

I love your voice, both artistically and tonally. Great stuff!

[@chancefugitt4329]

I love this band!!! This channel is amazing.

[@dezawol9786]

PERSONAL grudge against reality itself 😂😂😂😂❤❤

[@dlwseattle]

I saw them live at the Phantasy Nightclub in Cleveland. I wish I could remember what year it was. it was a lot of fun

[@mrdonknotts]

At the time, one of the only bands I was genuinely scared of. Bands love pretending to be "crazy" but they genunially gave no fucks. Hands down one of the best live bands from that era. Buzz was right trying to talk them out of breaking up.

[@MindTheDrift]

I think when Thor was done, buzz offered to play guitar on that should have been final tour but it didn’t happen. Would have loved to have seen that!

[@sebp400]

man, Cows! That Amp Rep documentary was great too.

[@scott12xu]

Bassist Kevin Rutmanis was in the Melvins in the late 1990s/early 00’s.

[@HomelandConspiracy]

I like Shannon Selberg other band The Heroine Sheiks a lot

[@VivaSepulchre]

Kevin was screaming into the bass pickup

[@johnchedsey1306]

I didn't realize the connection with the Heroine Sheiks! I heard them and thought "gee, they sound a bit like Cows". Well, now that's obvious as to why.

[@AndrewBarrett-k5b]

Bassist Kevin went on to be one of the MELVINS best players. Also check out Shannon's Post-COWS band the HEROINE SHEIKS.

[@giannidcenzo]

Great episode Tome

[@BeeAyeSueRah]

SOLID CHOICE TOME!!! May I suggest SPO-ITS/KING SPO-IT next??

[@gregviar6032]

Oh man I saw the SPO-ITS open for Buzzoven in the 90’s, that show was chaos!

[@BeeAyeSueRah]

@ you’re one of very few to have had the opportunity lol

[@NickCharles-v2p]

They're from Atlanta, pretty crazy group...I saw them go on Jerry Springer one time, also.

[@frankmartin182]

I saw them open for someone at Club Dreamerz here in Chi. They were sludge before it had a name all slow, loud and doomy. Oversized foam cowboy hat, barely acknowledged the crowd, no shirt and mumbled a lot in a drawl. Fantastic.

[@iosifkalpaktsoglou2045]

Unsurpassed

[@abraxasjinx5207]

Every Asheville NC punk band in the 2000s sounded like this, except worse, and without a PA so don't even expect to hear the vocals.

[@JimmyMcMillan-o2f]

I alwz thot the Melvins were Amreps Beatles and the Cows were Amreps Stones Or maybe the other way round.

[@idrafthalflinger9494]

God Bullies

[@maddadrants]

Mr Tome.......once again you rock!

[@mc540flip]

Glad I goat to see them here in Phoenix, AZ back in ‘94 or ‘95. I was hoping they would play Sugar Torch, but they didn’t. After the show I mentioned it to Shannon and he said “We can’t play them all.” He was cool.

[@madhatte73]

Bummed I missed these guys.

[@Christianmspence]

Best live band

[@_BASIC_INSTINCT]

miles davis the cows brainbombs all loved the trumpet

[@shanesmith2853]

The Cows are awesome! I would love to see a Plasmatics video.

[@BlueWingedRino]

I was at that 92 show at the Khyber Pass. Think I saw them 3 times there. The Cows and the God Bullies were probably the best live bands of that era.

[@ciggieshoreditch507]

The Cows were one of the finest bands I ever saw in person. "Sexy Pee Story" and "Cunning Stunts" are stone cold classic records. The members of the band were nice guys when I met them after the show. Only Lubricated Goat were in the same league with the Cows.

[@joeldobbs7396]

1992, the starfish room, 3 hits orange blotter, I bear the scars to this day.

[@raimywinter2309]

Noise amprep FOREVER.Noise Amphetamine Reptile Records 🤘🏻🎱🤘🏻

[@TheDeathOfPassion]

good stuff, whats the song at 5:30?

[@13g33l-w1b]

The mighty Cows. Shannon is the man.

[@jonanjello]

Love Cows. Wish I had kept their CDs in my collection!

[@henrygoleau]

A great introduction to The Cows would be their Old Gold (1989-1991) album. Never saw them live. Heard Shannon would suddenly start doing karate kicks and, consequently sometimes "connect" with an audience member lol.

[@aniesc3257]

First time i saw the videoclip of 'Hitting the Wall' was wow...

[@jd-jy8lu]

awW - you should have covered what Kevin did after - Melvins, Hepa.Titus, Lord and Lady Kevin - he is still really fucking weird!

[@thomasrounds3337]

Have you done a story on Spo-its yet? There was a band in NE Ohio in the 80s called Sleazy Jesus and the Splatter Pigs. Might be a good one

[@tonyjones1560]

This looks like a loud and wild show. Sheer anarchy. I’m sorry I missed it…!

[@reubenyebra4002]

🔥🔥🔥 they are still playing around minneapolis they are still killing it!!!!

[@bite-marx]

you didnt mention shannons teeth

[@jerryleeelvisberryrichard6247]

Great live band. They once played a bill with Iowa Beef Experience. Gabe’s Oasis.

[@RobertLisboa]

Please do Bad Brains.

[@JimmyMcMillan-o2f]

CABIN MAN!!!

[@aperez5360]

i wanna RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE

[@leeshiflett1863]

Hell yea!

[@derekpierkowski7641]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@PontiacS]

Sorry, They Ain't No "Kilslug". Not even Close.

[@zoranoran]

Kilslug rules!!!

[@treesmantrees]

Jeff Walker 😂

[@hirampopcock6626]

The world today needs more Cow-like bands before shitty pop,.shittier hip-hop and (C)rap turn perfectlty souls into petroleum jelly.

[@VICIOUSPOSSE]

that interviewer is so god damn annoying

[@DMTtony]

I saved for the band. Screw this monotone bullshit. Would he throw himself at us? Cool man. Live it. You’re a lame. Fight me.

[@md1674]

Tome. BORRIS THE SPRINKLER..!!!!!??!!?:'&-(':+(?.... could be a great episode???!?

[@buzzawuzza3743]

I will always HATE the Cows! My band played on the same show with them years ago and they were mean to us! Just because we played Steely Dan songs and Genesis songs. They treated us like crap because our keyboard player knew how to play Beethoven. The Cows were the worst band ever!

[@nouseforafap]

Garbage

[@MindTheDrift]

Garbage Soup🎶🎵🎶

[@JimmyMcMillan-o2f]

@@MindTheDrift mmmmm…garbage soup

[@BillDraheim]

Shannon was in another band after Cows called Heroin Sheiks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoi7p6JsZbtqjM0si=mlFpHs9QcPngC6B8

[@BillDraheim]

Kevin Rutmanis was in the Melvins. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJfYlqBsraernassi=lEJADwalrAbFiwhB